S e v e n m o n t h s p r e v i o u s:

February 2nd - the day before I left:

I lay in the comfy small bed, bones aching, skin bruised, face burning from cuts. I let my pain float away into the memory foam, as I sunk into the mattress. The thin blanket hid all evidence, but I could still feel it. I knew the scars were there.

Last night was officially the worst night of my life.

I'd spent months tolerating Roberts wicked behaviour. His outrageous mood swings had increased these past few weeks, he was attacking me at least five time's a day now. I'd become accustomed to his usual three times a day that, as much as I'd love for it to stop, I'd rather it be that then five time's a day. Because we all knew he wasn't going to stop. That was too much to ask.

So last night he'd flipped out over various things.

He was already fuming with me for inviting the painter and decorator in, which he organised. What did he expect me to do? Leave the man standing outside the door because he wasn't in.

He had never acted up before over other men, but then again I'd never been in this situation.

Then there was the disastrous business deal gone wrong at work. Apparently the deal he wanted didn't work out, I wasn't quite sure what about, I was too busy blocking out his almighty yelling as he screamed at me. I'd managed to figure out a way where I could just pretend it wasn't happening. Maybe I'd just become so used to it I learnt how to ignore his words.

By midnight he had completely lost his patience with everything, and decided to come looking for me. He was like a predator stalking out its prey. He'd sneak up on me, and pounce. And me, being the innocent, weak victim, had to suffer every time. I was too scared to fight back; frightened what threats he might throw, or how much worse it might get if I did.

When he reached the bedroom last night, face crumpled with disgust, he wasted no time torturing me.

"You just had to piss me off didn't you?"

"Pardon?" I'd asked, taken back by his sudden outrage

"You! You always did something."

"I'm sorry, what did I do?"

"First the decorator, then you put me off my presentation so I didn't get the deal I wanted, and then now I can't print anything off because the printer is still broken!"

I was supposed to fix it, but I'd completely forgot. The day had been hectic, especially having a child to take care of.

"I'm sorry, I'll fix it in the morning. I promise"

I always kept a calm tone with him, I didn't want to make his blood boil anymore than it already was.

As I turned my back to check the baby monitor was switched on (I still had one even though she was one, just be sure she was okay), he grabbed me by my hair and threw me across the room.

The side of my head hit straight into the wall, knocking me dizzy and sick.

I couldn't move even if I tried.

"You promised to do it today"

One punch in my left cheek.

"But you didn't!"

One punch in my right cheek.

"So now you suffer, because I had to!"

His fist came straight at my face again, but I made the mistake of moving slightly to block it meaning he punched the wall instead.

"You bitch!"

This time his fist came into contact with my ribs, stomach, and chest. More than once too. The sharp pains, and the awful aching that followed each punch made me sick.

The only thing you could hear was his grunts of frustration, and my small sobs. I wanted to scream, try calm him down, but then I'd risk waking Hope. So instead I just sat there and took the pain.

When I thought he'd finally finished, he began kicking me instead. My ribs were already potentially broken, but he carried on anyway.

Suddenly, Picking me up roughly, holding me under my arms, he threw me on the bed.

This was my worst fear. Whenever we had sex I consented, despite not wanting to, just to prevent the unthinkable.

I was sure he was about to do it, my whole body shook in terror. Nothing could hurt me like that would. I could take the endless hits, screams and kicks, but not that.

Luckily, if you could consider it that for what he did next, his hands had different intentions.

Gripping my throat, he tightened both his hands in a way to strangle me. I could feel the breath leaving my lungs. It hurt to try catch my breath, the pain was excruciating, but I couldn't die. I couldn't leave Hope with him.

This time I fought. I grabbed his forearms trying my hardest to pull him off me.

My head went dizzy, my eye sight blurred as my oxygen levels came lower, and my body went limp.

I was then convinced it was the day I would die. There was nothing I could do to stop him, he was too strong.

'This was it' I thought. 'He finally won'.

My body started to lose life, slowly dying, until a miracle happened.

"Robert? You up here?"

His dad.

"Robert?"

Why was his dad here? It was midnight.

At the first sound of his shouting, Robert released my throat from his grip, and I coughed uncontrollably trying to catch my breath.

It was then I felt the blood between my legs. The excruciating pain in my stomach meant he'd caused internal damage, and I was bleeding as a result from it.

I grabbed the bedside table, in an attempt to pull myself up, and felt as it trickled down my legs.

"R-Robert I need a hospital"

I'd never been to a hospital with anything he had done. I'd broke my arm twice in the past year, but he'd brought a cast for me to wear to heal it.

Even when he broke my nose, I never went to the hospital. I was lucky there was no exterior damage. Or at least there wasn't enough for people to notice.

But now I needed a hospital. Something was terribly wrong, something was happening inside me.

"Robert your mother she-"

His dad froze in the door frame when he saw my weak, beaten body, struggling to stand up, with blood marring my legs.

I never did find out what was wrong with his mother that he had to come round, she seemed fine the next day, but I was thankful nevertheless.

"Daisy! What's happened?"

I didn't know what to say. It was pretty obvious what had happened - or at least I'd say it was.

"Robert what the hell has happened to her?!" He bellowed straight at him, while holding me up.

"She fell" he said it in a somber tone. He wasn't at all bothered what was happening to me.

"Fell?!"

His dad didn't believe him, but that meant nothing. His perfect little son could never be known as a woman beater, or an abuser.

"Call an ambulance now!" He demanded, his voice roaring through the house.

"H-hope."

"You'll wake"

"Hope"

I couldn't breathe, which meant I could barely speak, but he needed to be quiet or he would wake Hope. She couldn't see me like this.

"Ahhh" I screamed as a wave of pain travelled through my stomach. I gripped Roger, Roberts dad, as it slowly got worse.

I heard the faint noise of the paramedics, and Roger shouting for me to answer him, but then it went black. Silent, peaceful at last.

Before I knew it, I was in the hospital. My body had collapsed, fallen unconscious, after the second wave of pain hit me.

I had to have surgery as my left rib had broken, puncturing my left lung. But that wasn't the worst of my pain. That wasn't the reason I was bleeding, and I knew that before they told me.

"Mrs Sheen, I'm afraid you've had a miscarriage. You were only three weeks, so you wouldn't of known yet. I'm very sorry"

The young female doctor squeezed my arm before leaving the room.

I never wanted another baby with Robert. The thought of carrying another one of his children knocked me sick. Yet my heart broke at her words. I didn't want to lose a baby, whether it was his baby or not. That would of still been my baby.

He killed our baby.

That thought stirred something inside me, and I realised I had to leave. I had to get out of here. If he could kill an unborn baby, what might he do to Hope? That thought sent me into panic, and determination.

As soon as I was better I would leave with Hope.

"Daisy I'm so sorry sweetheart"

Roberts mother, Adeline, rushed into the room pulling me into her embrace. I was still sore from surgery, and despite my wince, she held on anyway.

"Whatever he did, he won't do it again I promise beautiful" she rubbed my face, while tears dropped down her own.

My naivety was believing she would help me, only that didn't happen.

As soon as I was discharged that afternoon - despite being told it wasn't wise, Robert insisted I get home 'to rest' - I blurted my heart out to Adeline in hope she would help me.

"Please Adeline, he's been hurting me for months I need to tell someone"

"Oh sweetie, don't be silly. He's just got a little temper. He said you fell while arguing, you can't blame him for that"

My whole body wanted to fall into a black hole, and never come back. How could she think that was the truth? It was clear what he had done to me. Even the hospital had pestered me with questions but, me being stupid, I told them it was nothing. I was terrified in case he was listening.

"No! He did this! He hurt me. I'm going to tell the police"

This time I made sure he could hear me.

When his head snapped my way, I could see the blood boiling. He was fuming, but I couldn't stay any longer.

"I'm telling the police, and then I'm leaving with Hope"

"You can't!" Adeline jumped in front of me as I reached for Hope.

"Move!"

"No, you can't go to the police it will ruin this family"

"I don't care! He's ruined me!"

"What about a deal?" She said panicked.

"A what?"

"You leave, he stays away from you, but you don't go to the police"

As soon as she said it I thought: Is she mad? But I was so desperate for a way out, I took it.

They were a messed up family, they'd do anything to keep their precious businesses. That's all they cared about

As I went to collect Hope she stopped me.

"On your own. We keep Hope"

"Over my dead body! I take Hope or the police"

"And don't think I won't!" I added, as she tried to argue back.

"Mother what are you doing? You are not leaving me!"

This was the first time he'd spoke up, he'd spent the time watching me, grimacing, as me and his mom argued. I don't know what was more scary: him reacting, or him being weirdly silent.

"Yes I am, make your decision Adeline"

"Fine. But if you go to the police, there'll be consequences"

In a matter of ten minutes I collected Hope, took a small stash of money to get me on a train somewhere, and left.

I couldn't believe how easy they'd made it for me to leave. Again my naivety. They wasn't finished there. They were determined to get Hope back, and they've tried ever since.